I know I said I wouldn't comment, but... Beware the time skip near the bottom that is not clearly marked. This is not all one day.

Chapter 5.4 – Friends in Strange Places
Part 36

"So, any particular reason why you guys told me to keep watch outside the sephiroth?"

I sighed. "Well, can you keep a secret?" I asked.

Asch shot me warning look, but I ignored it as Selenia nodded. We were only a few miles out from St. Binah now, thank goodness. Selenia had been pestering us about what we had done at the sephiroth for hours.

"We're members of the Order of Lorelei. Every couple years, a group gets sent out to check up on all of the sephiroth. We got slated for that this year," I told her. Asch blinked in surprise, while Selenia nodded quietly. Then she gasped and looked back at the two boys behind us.

"Oh my gosh, you two are the God-Generals Asch the Bloody and Sync the Tempest, aren't you?" she asked. Sync sighed.

"You realize no one's supposed to know what we're doing, right?" he said. Selenia blinked before nodding.

"Right. So I guess your identities have to stay a secret, too. But that's okay. I'm good at keeping secrets," she replied. I smiled and patted her on the head.

"Smart girl," I told her. Selenia looked up at me then.

"But, if they're God-Generals… who are you?" she wondered. I sighed.

"I'm just a Major in the fifth division. Originally it was just going to be me and Sync, but…" I trailed off. Wait, was Sync the fifth division or…

"I was bored and decided that tagging along would be fun," Asch continued. I shot a grateful look over my shoulder, then grinned.

"Hey, look. St. Binah," I said, pointing. Selenia smiled.

"Yup. Home sweet home for me," she agreed. I crossed my arms. Home… At least I knew I could get back now. But, looking over at Sync and Asch, I had to wonder just how much I wanted to go. Those two… they've given up pretty much everything to come out here and try something new. Sure, they're a little awkward, but what else can be expected?

"Hey, you okay?"

I blinked and looked up, realizing that Sync had sneakily managed to take my spot next to Selenia so that I could talk to Asch quietly. I smiled. "Yeah," I told him. He looked away for a bit before chuckling.

"Nice save, by the way. Been practicing that one in your head?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nope. Apparently I'm a very good liar, though my friends always seem to be able to call me out on it. Just one thing though… Sync was the head of the fifth division, wasn't he?" I asked. Asch nodded.

"Yup. Why?" he replied. I shrugged.

"I just thought it would seem weird for him to be traipsing about on a mission with another God-General and a soldier that didn't belong in his division," I stated. Asch looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded.

"That's a good point, and not one I would have thought of," he admitted. "Especially since you made the comment about the two of you planning to make the trip alone… Oh…" he rambled, finally realizing exactly why which division I was 'a part of' mattered. I rolled my eyes.

"They say you have to repeat something seven times before you remember it. I disagree. Once is enough, if you're paying attention the first time," I said.

Asch rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he mumbled. I smiled, then sighed.

"Heavens, you two. Walk fast enough?" I called. Sync and Selenia were yards ahead of us now, right outside the gates of St. Binah. Sync looked back and turned a bit pink, while Selenia laughed.

"You guys aren't coming back to the house, are you?" she asked a moment later, her expression falling. I shook my head.

"No. We'll be stopping long enough to restock on supplies, but we need to get on toward Grand Chokmah," I replied. Selenia frowned.

"Are you going to stop by Tataroo Valley on the way?" she asked. I blinked, then took a moment to think.

"No. We're headed for Mt. Roneal now. Depending on where the next ferry's going after that, we'll end up either in Chesedonia or Daath. We kinda spaced out and forgot to check the sephiroth there before we left," I replied after a moment. Selenia nodded, then looked between me and Sync.

"Wait… If you're their subordinate, why are you the one planning the route?" she wondered. I chuckled and pointed at Asch with my thumb.

"Because this one has no sense of direction," I stated, before using my left index finger to point at Sync. "And that one isn't used to running around on foot for months on end. I, on the other hand, do have a sense of direction, and I was a nomad before I was a soldier," I continued. Asch rolled his eyes, while Sync sighed.

"And she's pretty good at keeping us on-task and non-violent," he muttered. I smirked.

"That's right, you two also have little to no patience," I teased. Asch shot me a warning look, which I ignored. We were standing in the central marketplace of St. Binah now, and I smiled at Selenia. "You know… You're not bad with your fonic artes, but maybe you should learn to use a staff. Something else between you and the enemy, at least," I suggested.

Selenia smiled. "Thanks, Kairi. I'll see what I can do about it," she replied. Then, grin still in place, she turned and started skipping off. She paused for a moment to look back at us. "Come visit again, okay?" she called. I laughed and nodded, then waved as she went back to her skipping away.

After a moment, I looked around, thinking about our supplies and wondering what we needed to buy, and where that would be. I was about halfway through my mental list when I noticed the look on Sync's face.

"Something wrong?" I asked him quietly. He looked up at me and frowned before looking away. He didn't answer though, so I sighed and looked up at Asch. "Can I trust you to replenish our stash of medicines while Sync and I go restock our food stores?"

Asch rolled his eyes. "Sure. You gonna need any extra gald for that?" he wondered. I put a hand on my hip and gave him a pointed look, to which he responded by rolling his eyes again. "Right… Never mind," he muttered. I held up a hand.

"Wait… Two things, since you're going in the right direction and we're not... Remember, we were going to get Sync a set of throwing knives?" I prompted. Asch nodded, and Sync's mouth opened a bit. I guess he forgot.

"And the second thing?" Asch asked after nodding.

"Could you find a carrier pigeon for this?" I asked, pulling a letter out of my bag. Asch blinked, then sighed, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Right, that letter to Nephry. Alright," he agreed, taking the letter before wandering off in one direction. I nudged Sync, and we headed off in another. Of course, handing off the extra tasks to Asch had had a double purpose.

"So?" I prodded as we were looking over fruits. Sync shrugged.

"So what?" he grumbled, picking up a peach to inspect it better. I crossed my arms.

"What's on your mind? You've been acting a little off ever since we got back here," I told him. He was quiet for a moment before sighing.

"You know how you told me that if I could drop the attitude, you'd want me around? Well… I thought it was just you, and back in Akzeriuth, no one ever really seemed to pay attention to me, but…" he trailed off.

"Ah…"

Sync looked up at me in surprise as I paid for the apples I'd picked out. "Ah?" he echoed. I smiled.

"You were expecting to be ignored, weren't you?" I asked. Sync looked away almost guiltily, and I giggled. "I'll admit that being ignored is a far cry better than being put down constantly, but really? The people of Akzeriuth are busy men and women, they don't have the time to stand around and be sociable with strangers. St. Binah, on the other hand…" I trailed off.

Sync looked up at me, green eyes caught somewhere between hope and depression. It was a look that told me that he really had been expecting to be ignored by anyone who wasn't me or Asch. I couldn't help but be a bit depressed myself at that revelation.

"You know, if you want that peach, you'd better make up your mind quick," I teased him. He looked blinked and looked at the fruit in his hand before looking at the stall again. I smiled and reached over, picking up one myself and turning it over. "I think I'll have one, though," I decided. Sync chuckled, but put the peach back.

"I'll pass," he said. I smiled and paid the lady for my peach before we walked off toward the vegetable stand. "So, you really meant it?" he asked. I sighed. It was a tired sound, but not the 'I'm sick of dealing with this' kind. It was more of a 'how can he be so naïve' tired.

"Yeah. Every word I said. And I'll repeat them if I have to, over and over until you understand it," I told him quietly. "Even if everyone else stops caring, so long as you're willing to place yourself above the level of trash, I'll be here."

Sync looked away at that, and became my own personal shadow as I finished buying up food. We were headed toward the gates when he spoke up again.

"I can be anyone I want to be."

I paused and looked at him, then nodded. "Yup. Anyone at all," I told him firmly.

He smiled slightly. "Anyone… or anything," he muttered. He looked up at me then. "Kairi…"

I sighed. "Just… don't try to be something that is at odds with you true nature. You'll make yourself miserable doing that," I warned him. Then, looking down at the peach in my hand as we waited for Asch, I shrugged and took a bite out of it.

"What the heck?"

I smiled, swallowing the bit I'd taken. "It's a peach, not an orange," I replied. Sync just stared for a moment.

"You're eating it like an apple," he stated. I nodded.

"Yup."

"But it's a peach."

"Uh-huh."

"And you're eating it skin and all?"

"Well, not the pit, obviously, but yes."

Sync was quiet for a moment. "Any particular reason why?" he asked. I chuckled and took a second bite, shaking my head as I chewed.

"Because peaches are good and getting the skin off is a waste of time," I replied.

"What's a waste of time?" Asch asked as he walked over. I smirked and took another bite of my peach, nudging Sync to let him answer. He sighed.

"Apparently? Peeling the skin off peaches," he said.

I nodded. "Now then, let's go," I prompted. Asch gave me a look, shook his head, and then the three of us headed off along the road.

It was quiet for a time, before the first monsters attacked. I had just finished my peach, and chucked the pit at the chirpee that tried to dive-bomb me, effectively startling it before I slashed through the damn thing.

By mid-afternoon on the third day after leaving St. Binah, I had only one thing on my mind.

"I fucking hate chirpees, bees, and every subspecies of either!"

Asch just sheathed his sword and sighed. "You know... You would think that, having lived as a nomad, primarily on the Rungican Plains, you'd be used to them by now," he muttered. I scowled.

"I usually just avoid them. They don't attack in flocks like that when I'm alone. Annoying, stupid, tiny—no, miniscule," I grumbled. My tirade continued for a bit as I stalked along the road, sending death glares at any chirpees or bees that I saw, even if they didn't attack me.

It was when I heard Sync chuckling behind me that I finally stopped and turned to look at them. Asch's face turned pink as he tried to suppress the grin that I'd caught sight of, but Sync was just shaking his head.

"You have an interesting way of making your displeasure known," Sync stated. I shrugged.

"What else is new?" I muttered. Then I turned back around and paused, a grin spreading across my face. "Well, at least we won't have to deal with them much longer."

Asch followed my gaze and sighed. "No, but—"

"No 'but's, Mr. Pessimist!" I grumbled, heading off in the direction of the gate that I could clearly see even from a fair distance away. I could hear Asch and Sync walking along behind me, but it didn't really matter. I was a woman on a mission, now.

We got past the guards in the Theor Forest with no difficulty, even loaded down with weapons as we were. I guess they assumed us to be mercenaries or something of the sort. Oh well, whatever works.

Once we stepped into Grand Chokmah, I took a deep breath and smiled. I guess Asch mistook the awed look on my face for nostalgia, because he chuckled.

"I take it you haven't been here in a while," he commented. I just shrugged and headed for the inn, since the sky was a lovely shade of pink already. Whatever floats his boat. Right then, I just wanted a bed.